The Black Hornet currently rank as the world's smallest military-grade spy drone, weighing just 16 grams and measuring at 4 inches long

The British military has taken stealth to a new level. In Afghanistan, troops fly drones the size of a hamster. The Norwegian-manufactured machines currently rank as the world’s smallest military-grade spy drone, weighing just 16 grams and measuring at 4 inches long. Dubbed the Black Hornet, the sneaky little choppers carry just a steerable camera that takes still and video images, Wired reports.

British soldiers use the tiny drones to spy on insurgent firing points and survey exposed areas before moving in. The Black Hornet acts as a one-man intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance package, filtering information directly to the individual behind the controls rather than a company or supply chain of operators. In other words, the bot acts as as the remote-controlled eyes of a single soldier. Soldiers control the drone with a mouse-like device and view images on a screen akin to a Game Boy console.

The U.S. smallest drone, the Raven, can fit into a rucksack but is a giant next to the Black Hornet. From here, these little spy machines can only get smaller. The Pentagon’s already working on a drone the size of a hummingbird; perhaps soon we’ll see drones the size of honey bees or gnats.

Smithsonian.com Shop

The Smithsonian Institution has entered affiliate agreements with the companies listed in our holiday shop, and earns a fee for every purchase made from following any link from these gift guide pages and making a purchase on the affiliate site. This fee helps fund Smithsonian’s activities.

SKU: LN003-BLK With text culled from the archives of some of the world's literary greats, and hand-screened onto sheets of the sheerest cotton voile, these letter napkins by Sir/Madam arrive folded and enclosed in a classic string tie envelope for a truly special delivery. Individual themes include love letters, Shakespearean sonnets, and letters of advice.

How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens [Benedict Carey] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. In the tradition of The Power of Habit and Thinking, Fast and Slow comes a practical, playful